Starting an online store can be a great way to reach a larger audience and increase sales. However, with so many e-commerce platforms available, it can be difficult to choose the right one for your business. Two popular options are Big Cartel and Shopify.
In this article, we’ll guide you through a quick comparison of Big Cartel vs Shopify, to help you choose which platform is best for your e-commerce.
Big Cartel is an e-commerce platform, specifically designed for artists and makers. Its strength is the ease of use: it offers a simple, user-friendly interface, suitable for beginners.
Big Cartel has three different pricing plans, including, as mentioned above, a free option for small stores. But even the paid plans – that don’t have the limitations of the free plan – are way less expensive than its competitors.
Compared to other e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, Big Cartel has quite essential features, so not the best choice if you have a big e-commerce or you plan on scaling it. Big Cartel also lacks a blogging feature, which many e-commerces use to reach a bigger audience.
The platform is best suited for artists, musicians, and other creatives who want to sell their products online. As we said, it’s a great option if you’re just getting started and looking for something easy to use.
Shopify is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms out there. Through Shopify, you can create and manage every aspect of your online store.
✅ Pros
If compared with Big Cartel, Shopify has more features, templates and integrations. For example:
❌ Cons
On the other hand, Shopify can be a little expensive for small businesses that are just getting started. Also, even though Shopify has a lot of templates you can use, the Liquid customization setup can be difficult to understand.
Shopify is suitable for everyone from small businesses to larger enterprises. It’s a great choice for those who want a comprehensive platform with a large user community and lots of resources.
Big Cartel or Shopify? Let’s break down the main points:
|
Big Cartel
|
Shopify
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use |
Very easy to use, user-friendly, with simple interfaces and an intuitive design. Suitable for beginners. |
User-friendly, with simple interfaces and an intuitive design. Shopify has more customization options, but it can be a little overwhelming for beginners. |
| Design options |
Options to customize, +10 free and paid templates, +100 third-party integrations. |
Way more customizable, +100 free and paid templates, +6000 third-party integrations. |
| Payment options |
Major credit cards, PayPal and Stripe |
+100 payment options, such major credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and many local payment methods. It also support multiple currencies. |
| Pricing |
Three plans: the Gold plan is free, but has some limitations, the Platinum plan costs $9.99/month; the Diamond plan $19.99/month. |
The Basic plan starts at $29/month; the Shopify plan $79/month; the Advanced plan $299/month. Shopify has also an option for enterprise-level e-commerces, called Shopify Plus. |
| Customer support |
Online resources and email support |
Online resources and live chat, email, and phone support. Shopify offers a 24/7 customer support. |
In the end, it all depends on your business needs. Shopify is the right option for you if you’re planning on growing and investing in your e-commerce. But if you’re looking for a simpler and low-cost option, and don’t need plenty of customizations, Big Cartel is a great choice.
While which platform you chose to host your shop with is optional, one thing isn’t: if you’re selling online, you’ll need to meet certain legal requirements.
👉 Whether you’re in the US, Europe or another region, you’ll likely need professional terms and conditions for your store (simple templates won’t cut it).
Here’s everything you need to know about terms and conditions for e-commerce stores
The solution to draft, update and maintain your Terms and Conditions. Optimised for eCommerce, marketplace, SaaS, apps & more.
